Leaders of several denominations affiliated with The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada are engaged in a joint effort to respond to the refugee crisis currently taking place in the Middle East, particularly Syria and Iraq. In cooperation with the Canadian government, they are seeking to offer settlement assistance to some of the 10,000 displaced persons that Canada has promised to welcome by 2016.

These frequently asked questions may be helpful to church leaders considering participation in the Initiative:

1. Why would our congregation become involved in the Middle East Refugees Resettlement Initiative?

As we seek to bless in the name of Jesus those who are suffering in the world, we put Jesus’ call to follow him into action. The EFC’s issue summary on refugees begins with a basic biblical principle: “As Christians, we are called to care for our neighbour, and to protect the vulnerable, the needy and the oppressed . . . Throughout Scripture, God specifically commands us to treat the alien with justice and compassion. Leviticus 24:22 instructs: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall do him no wrong . . . you shall love him as yourself.”

If you are sponsoring Muslim people, you may find it helpful to connect with the Fellowship of Faith for the Muslims. To find out if there is a network of people in your area working with Muslims, email the Canadian Network of Ministries to Muslims at info@cnmm.ca.

Mennonite Central Committee has produced several resources, including:

Syrian refugees cross over into the outskirts of Kobani, Turkey after fleeing their home. UNHCR / I. Prickett

The EFC’s online resource library includes several items related to the topic of refugees, including a Refugee Highway Wall Map produced by the Refugee Highway Partnership and a Code of Best Practices for Christian Refugee Ministry developed by the World Evangelical Alliance.

You may also find helpful these resources produced by government and other agencies: